1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to water rescue apparatus and more particularly to an inflatable aquatic rescue board and methods of rescue.
2. History of the Prior Art
Many of the water connected injuries occurring each year involve damage to the neck or spine, whereby the injured person should if at all possible be immediately immobilized to preclude aggravation of the injuries during transportation to a hospital or other treatment facility. Sports activities such as diving and water skiing are particularly likely to result in cervical or spinal injuries in which further bending or twisting of the spine can cause permanent damage. Under typical present procedures the person sustaining such injuries is removed from the water under manual restraint and then placed on a stretcher for transportation to a treatment facility. This removal procedure is very dangerous for a person who needs to be immobilized, because positive restraint from relative movement of the injured person's body is very difficult even for a skilled rescuer.
There is in addition the basic problem of rescue of an injured person in the water. In deep water, a rescuing swimmer has insufficient mobility to do little more than tow an injured person to help; and in a pool it is difficult to get an injured person over the side to the pool. A need exists for an easily manipulatable rescue board that can facilitate water rescues.